


Genius Loci

by Anime_or_scifi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: First Meeting, Fluff, Genius Loci, Local deity! AU, M/M, Modern Fantasy, More tags to be added, Rating might go up??, modern mythology, sorta - Freeform, very minor angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-03-29 09:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13924248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anime_or_scifi/pseuds/Anime_or_scifi
Summary: ~A Genius Loci is the "spirit of place." It is the deity or spirit that creates, reigns over, or protects an area, region, or landmark.~Eren, the local being of a small city that seems to never rain, finds a new resident named Levi that interacts with him in a different way than any other person has.





	1. Offering

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I've been wanting to write a fic that involves these kinds of themes for a long ass time. I've always adored fantasy stories, and I don't think I've ever written a fic that falls under that genre, which baffles me because fantasy and science fiction are my favorite. 
> 
> This won't be an awfully long fic, a handful of chapters at most. I got inspired to write this after a short story of mine about a Genuis Loci was published in my college's magazine (this is a huge moment for me!) I hope you like this! Please leave a comment or kudos if you do. My tumblrs are dr-s--art and the-witch-daddy. I'm sorry for any errors, I don't edit. Thanks for reading, enjoy! <3

Eren trotted eagerly down the street, taking the rubber band out of his locks to retie them more securely. He blew a harsh breath upward as his bangs fell astray. As he passed the locals, some people who knew him would wave curtly, others who hadn't known him stared in awe. He always attracted everyone's eye, giving them a warm feeling just by being present. 

Today was Thursday, specifically the first Thursday on the sixth of the month. That meant the young neo-pagans were leaving offerings by his favorite spot as they did every Thursday, the local widow was leaving flowers at the same place where her husband had died and the neighboring restaurant was throwing out the day old bagels in the dumpster at noon. 

If it was anyone else, they might've side eyed his attire. He loved yellow, it was his color, so he wore a comfortable yellow shirt that wouldn't cling to his muscles. He was known for wearing floppy skirts over his jeans and painted sneakers that weren't suitable for running. His clothing choices tended to juxtapose his physique, but that was just another reason why people were so fascinated by him.

He rounded the corner of the cafe, walking into a wide open space, observing the giant graffitied mural on the side of the building where his gifts were left. He hummed a tune, hurrying when he saw the gathered pile. He leaned his back against the vivid brick and slid down, giddy over his new treasures. 

One of the single mothers had left homemade, yellow candles, and her young daughter had drawn him a shaky picture of the sun with a great big smile. He liked that offering especially, it came from the heart, so he'd make sure they'd pass a friendly dog and be given permission to pet it. A teenage boy who begged into the ether that his parents would stop mistreating him left a beaded necklace he made. Eren decided that boy would have a weekend with the house to himself. A refugee who'd recently moved into one of the nearby apartments gave him vintage photos of birds and sunrises. He'd get them that well paying job they needed and decided they'd have agreeable hours. The group of friends who only had each other for support teamed up to make him a scrap book and also left used makeup palettes. He made sure they'd get to go on a fun trip together in a few days. 

He grinned at all his presents, glad he was still well loved and appreciated by most. His attention was drawn to the older woman approaching with roses in her arms. "Good morning, Rico!" He chimed.

"Oh, Eren. So good to see you. How's today treating you?" Rico reached out, handing the bouquet to Eren, knowing he'd know where to set them, her back too stiff to set them down on the ground by herself.

Eren placed the flowers on the ground, taking off the plastic wrapping so he wouldn't disturb the environment. "Can't complain. How are you?"

"Not so well," Rico sighed. "It's three years today."

"I'm so sorry, he was a wonderful man."

Rico nodded. "The best. Well, I'll be on my way, I have reservations for dinner."

"At Maria's? Where he proposed?" Eren asked.

"Can always count on you to remember. Such a sweetheart you are." Rico left, needing to hurry.

Eren took the flowers, inhaling the sweet scent. He made a mental note to have Rico win the lottery.

The door down at the end of the wall sprang open. One of the bakers came out with a bag slung over his shoulder, filled to the brim with bagels of all flavors. He slowed at the dumpster then sped back up again once he saw Eren. "Hey there."

"How's it going, Hannes?" Eren beamed at him.

"Not so bad." Hannes smirked at him, handing over the bag. "Don't think we haven't noticed you digging through the garbage. If you asked, we would've given it to you all along."

"It was never a bother."

Hannes shook his head, chuckling. "You're a strange one, Eren." He headed back into the building, leaving Eren by himself.

 

~

 

When Eren decided he'd had enough sun, he gathered all his treasures in his arms and made his way to his home. He walked through the wide open streets and smiled at all who passed. He had so much love to give for all these people, he hoped that they could sense that through his grin.

He weaved his way to the empty apartment building where he lived, taking his time in the labyrinth of the town. He was just about to step foot on the sidewalk of his street when a passerby bumped into him forcefully, knocking some of his offerings out of his arms. 

"Hey, watch where you're—" the man shouted, cutting himself off when he got a good look at Eren. "... Shit. Shit, I'm so sorry, let me help you with some of that."

Eren watched the stranger, clad in black with an interesting haircut dive to the ground to pick up what was dropped. "Don't you worry about it, it was an accident." 

"No, no, it was my bad." The man gathered everything dropped in his hands and stood back up, trying not to be too obvious with his staring. "Where you heading with all that stuff? It's a lot to carry for just one person."

Eren shrugged. "I guess. I'm just going to my apartment, it's not far."

"I can help you with that," the man offered.

"Oh, really it's no trouble, I do this all the time."

"No, it's okay, I insist." The stranger took some things off Eren's hands and gestured for him to lead the way.

Eren thought it wasn't a problem if he was so willing. "Thank you very much, it's this way."

The two shared a silence on the short walk to the apartment building, the man staring at Eren all the while. Once at the door, Eren set a few things down to unlock the door and the other couldn't help but ask.

"What is all this stuff?"

"Decorations, groceries, things like that," Eren hummed. "I'm Eren by the way."

"I'm Levi," the stranger introduced himself. "Do you live up a floor? I could help you bring up your stuff."

"I can do it, thank you so much for helping me. Very kind of you." Eren took the remainder of his belongings from Levi, about to walk inside.

Levi had to say something, he couldn't just let this person get away without at least making an attempt to gain more time with him. "Hey, um- look, I'm real sorry for the inconvenience I caused. I know you say you don't mind much, but I wanna make it up to you. Would... would you maybe want to go for coffee sometime? I'll pay. You could tell me more about those trinkets you got."

Eren stared back, feeling shock for the first time in ages. He'd never practiced social conventions that the average person would engage in, but he knew the implications of Levi's offer. And while others had undoubtedly found him attractive, no one acted on it. This was interesting indeed. "That's a great idea! Are you busy tomorrow afternoon?"

"Not too busy for you," Levi said boldly. 

Eren chuckled warmly. "You're funny. Let's meet at the cafe near the fountain. Three o'clock?"

"That works." Levi smiled uncontrollably.

"I'll see you there."

Eren disappeared into his brick temple, and Levi shoved his hands in his pockets, strolling down the sidewalk with a spring in his step.


	2. Worship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another quick chapter! Enjoy!

Levi had a feeling from the beginning that Eren wasn't going to be what he expected. Something about him gave him the idea that Eren was unlike any other person, and not in a romantic, sentimental way. His aura gave him instant joy and a sense of optimism that he didn't have before. Something about this person told him that he was special and to be guarded. 

After a couple coffee dates, Eren often invited Levi to his apartment, (he never did that with anyone else). He told Levi to just walk in, he never locked the door.

So, even on this dreadful day, Levi came to visit, as he said he would. 

The world, at least in this city, had seemed to have gone to the dogs. To start with, it was raining horribly. It never seemed to rain at all, especially not this badly. Several stores and apartments experienced flooding. The flowers in many of the gardens were getting pelted by the rain, toppling over and losing their luster. The children's chalk drawings on the ground washed away. There was a car crash on one street, Levi heard one of the passengers didn't make it. He hoped that wasn't the case. 

Walking up to the steps of Eren's apartment's front door, he noticed several bouquets and odd little trinkets left on the welcome mat. Stepping over them, he entered as he usually did.

He quietly knocked on Eren's door before letting himself in. "Hello?" He called. "Eren, are you home?"

"In here..." Came a muffled voice from Eren's bedroom. 

Levi went into Eren's room and saw him on his bed, his face paled and his arms hugging a pillow. Eren looked to be melted onto the mattress, ill and fatigued.

"Are you alright?" Levi asked, shuffling to the side of the bed. 

"I'm sick," Eren groaned pitifully. "It's not contagious."

Levi sat beside him. "You poor thing," Levi mumbled, running his fingers through Eren's hair, brushing his bangs away from his overheated forehead. "Can I get you something?"

"Water please," Eren begged.

Levi took such good care of Eren. He stayed with him, brought him everything he asked for, brought up all the offerings from his porch, played music for him on his phone and kept telling him kind things. 

"Is it some type of cold?" Levi asked, though he wasn't certain that'd be correct. Eren said it wasn't contagious. "Did you get sick from the weather outside?"

Eren chuckled, pulling up his blankets to surround himself. "No, dear, the weather is bad because I'm sick."

Levi quirked an amused brow at him, assuming he was saying funny things because he wasn't completely coherent from his illness. "You should get some sleep, it'll do you good."

 

~

 

Levi had lost track of time. Eren had been asleep for just over two hours, during which the storm had been steadily calming. Levi was on one side of the bed, just watching in case Eren woke up, in need of anything. 

He stared into space after awhile and only realized Eren had woken up when he felt a hand grab his own. Looking down, he smiled at Eren who was beaming up at him, bringing Levi's hand to his lips and pressing a kiss onto his knuckles. "Thank you for staying with me."

"Of course." Levi returned the gesture, kissing Eren's hand lightly.

Eren smiled even wider and sat up, stretching his arms out. "We should go for a walk!" He suggested, grabbing a pale yellow shirt from off his floor and throwing it on.

"A walk? Aren't you sick?"

"Not anymore, I feel great!"

Levi watched him put on a pair of old shorts and slip into a pair of orange flip flips. "But what about the storm? It's pretty awful out—" he was cut off when Eren grabbed his hand and started leading him out the door. As they passed the window, Levi noticed the lack of clouds in the sky, and a hint of a rainbow from the rain.

 

~

 

Levi had a feeling that he and Eren were being stared at while they strolled down the streets. He wondered if it was because people thought they were an odd couple, but that didn't stop him from holding the other's hand. He thought maybe he had something on his face that shouldn't have been there, but he found nothing when checking his reflection in shop windows. 

Then he realized everyone was only staring at Eren. He couldn't blame them, the man was gorgeous. Eren said hi to everyone he passed, and Levi thought on how he'd never met somebody so friendly.

"You have a lot of friends, don't you?" Levi asked.

"Mhm! I know everyone here."

Levi didn't think that was possible, but he didn't argue.

"Eren! Eren!" The couple turned to find a young girl chasing after them with daffodils in her arms and her mother trying to catch up. "Come here! You forgot to get one today!"

Eren turned around, kneeling to be at her height. "I'm so sorry, Gabby! I wasn't feeling well earlier."

"This'll help!" The little girl exclaimed, placing a flower in his hair right behind his ear. 

"Thank you so much!" Eren brought her into a hug.

Levi just watched as the two shared a conversation. He thought the sight was so precious.

Then the mother caught up. "Eren! So good to see you! Did you see that horrible storm?"

"Oh yes, quite something, wasn't it?"

"Indeed," the mother agreed. "Who's this?" She asked gesturing to Levi.

Eren stood up, grabbing Levi's hand again. "This is my boyfriend," he stated proudly.

Levi was caught off guard, unaware that Eren also wanted a relationship out of this. He was ready to deny it if wasn't well received, but the mother appeared to be delighted.

"Oh really? I didn't know you were dating someone!"

Eren nodded. "Yes, we only recently got together."

"Well, congratulations! We've got to get going, we can't leave the flower shop unattended for long. Have a good day!"

"You too!" Eren waved, turning back around with Levi.

"... You're okay with people knowing? About us?"

"Yeah, I'd love to show you off!" Eren gave Levi a quick kiss on the cheek. Levi couldn't find it in him to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for any errors, I don't edit!
> 
> If you liked this, please leave a comment or kudos! My tumblrs are dr-s--art and the-witch-daddy. Thanks for reading! <3


	3. Myth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! It's a little cheesy, but whatevs.
> 
> Enjoy!

The sky was as sunny as it almost always was. Eren laid on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the town, soaking up the sun and listening to the water with his eyes closed. He knew someone was looking for him, so he stayed in plain sight while he waited. 

Soon, the person who'd been searching for him had found him. One of the few others like him had heard about his relationship with Levi and had to talk to him about it.

"Eren, dear," a quiet voice said.

Eren opened his eyes when they had gently poked his shoulder. "Hi, Christa!"

"I've heard the news!" The girl chirped excitedly. "Who's the lucky man?"

"His name is Levi." Eren sat up, beaming at his friend. "He's often pessimistic but he's so sweet when he's happy."

"Have you considered your situation?"

Eren had given it some thought, but he wasn't the type to worry. It was exceptionally rare that people like Levi had such close relationships with those like Eren, and it didn't often end well. But it wasn't impossible to successfully pursue his relationship. It had been done before, Christa made sure of that. 

"I've thought about it," Eren said. "I love him and I want to be with him. Could you let that happen for us?"

Christa pretended to mull it over, but Eren laughed and shoved her arm playfully. "Of course, anything for you. But you know it'll be hard right? It's not all up to me."

"I know it'll be hard, but he's worth it."

Christa nodded understandingly. "Does he know?"

"He's suspicious. But I don't think he'd come to the right conclusion unless someone told him." Levi had no idea what kind of influence Eren had on their city. But he didn't have to know that.

"This city could use someone to help it rain," Christa suggested. "Your sunshine is lovely, don't get me wrong, but rain can be beautiful too. Imagine the rainbows there'd be when you both are busy."

Eren liked that idea, but it was Levi's decision to make. They had time.

 

~

 

Levi had his arms around Eren's waist as they laid in bed, watching the sun go down. Levi always thought is was funny that his boyfriend tired out so quickly after sunset. He leaned up to kiss his cheek, closing his eyes so he wouldn't be blinded by the light coming in from the window.

"Don't fall asleep on me yet," Levi joked, eliciting a small laugh from the other. "It's too early."

Eren yawned. "I can't help it, I just get so tired."

"It's a good thing you're so cute when you're sleepy."

Eren chuckled. He started to think more about what Christa had said. "Levi? Do you ever get sad when it rains?"

Levi thought it was an odd question. "Not really. I like the sound of it, and it's really relaxing." 

"You seem like a rainy person."

Levi squinted amusedly at his boyfriend. "What?"

Eren yawned again. "You seem like a rainy person. The rain looks like you. You're like the storm when you're annoyed and you're more of a drizzle when you're happy, you know? It's comfortable. And you're comfortable." Eren let his eyes shut, but he was still aways from sleep. "It rains when I'm not well, and I can't enjoy it then. But if you were the rain, I think I'd like thunderstorms a bit more."

Levi laughed at what seemed like nonsense coming out of Eren's mouth. "You must be more tired than I thought."

"Would you want to be the rain?"

Levi decided he'd humor Eren and answer his silly question to the best of his ability. "Hm... yes. Do you know what I'd do if I was the rain?"

"What?"

Levi planted another kiss on Eren's cheek. "I'd rain right over your apartment at night. So when you'd wake up, there would be flowers growing right outside for you to see in the morning. And... if you ever got too hot, I'd rain, just a little, to cool you down, and if the sun was out, I'd leave you a rainbow."

Eren grinned until he was practically beaming with joy. "You're so sweet! You'd make the most wonderful rain."

"I like being a person though, I can't hold you if I turn into the weather," Levi joked. "The clouds can't kiss you or hold your hand or tell you how beautiful you are, so I'll stay like this."

Eren didn't say so, but he knew that Levi wouldn't have to compromise those luxuries.

 

~

 

In many cases, each town has its own mythology. Like the myths of a person that everyone knew, even if they hadn't met them yet, because they'd hear the strange stories about them from the people who had. One would hear these tales and wonder what if these people were a part of the town? What if they weren't a person in the way that everyone else was?

In this town, people heard of Eren, the man who was like the sun. He brought warmth and light to this small city and some people toyed with the thought that that was true beyond figurative speech. Just like the people from the next town over toyed with the thought that Christa was a bit more than your everyday matchmaker. And now, people started to see something familiar in Levi. 

The skies had more clouds than ever before, and quite frequently too. But the sun wasn't any less present because of it. And like mythology, news spreads fast with people informing and misinforming each other. News that Eren had a lover reached nearly everyone in the city within weeks. News that it was Levi took a little longer.

When Eren walked through, people basked in the warm sun. And when Levi passed by, they were grateful for the cool shade provided by the clouds. Only a few people joked about there being a correlation. Those people were the neo pagans who knew enough to leave Eren offerings. Where Eren would bring new surprises to his admirers, Levi would alleviate their pains in return.

When a grieving husband left Levi a grey, knitted scarf, Levi made the weight of his wife's death less harsh for some time. A school teacher left him a bottle of wine and a couple blue buttons, so he made sure her arthritis wouldn't act up for a good week. A young girl still learning English left him an antique teacup she had painted, so he decided her schoolwork would be less difficult and proceed at a pace that enabled her to learn properly. And a young couple gave him CD's that still worked, but skipped often, so he made certain that their families stopped protesting their relationship.

Levi was quickly ingrained into the city's mythology the way Eren was. But instead of receiving overzealous greetings like his boyfriend did, he was welcomed with unwavering respect. 

When the two were together, there'd coincidentally be sunshine combatting rain, that ultimately resulted in rainbows. Eren brought the sun and joy to all who stood in the light. Levi brought rain and relief to all who sought refuge under the clouds' shade. And how did the sun complement the rain beautifully. Or at least, that's how the myth goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this story! I liked writing it a lot!
> 
> If you liked this, please leave a comment or kudos, they're very much appreciated!!! I'm sorry for any errors, I don't edit. My tumblrs are dr-s--art and the-witch-daddy. Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
